A good invoicing program - free of charge! Is that possible?
Are you looking for a reliable invoicing program, free of charge? Writing invoices: mobile remote invoicing, tax rate management, compliance with legal requirements... A professional tool makes your life easier when it comes to all these points.
In the following comparison of free invoicing programs, we explain the advantages and disadvantages of freeware for invoicing, what alternatives there are and what criteria you should use to select the perfect tool for you.
Online invoicing software: definition and advantages
What is it all for?
Online invoicing programs automate all tasks related to invoicing, from creating estimates to tracking payments and managing reminders.
Web-based invoicing software gives you access wherever you are, on the sole condition that you have access to the internet. You benefit from real-time monitoring and transparency of incoming and outgoing payments, outstanding invoices and much more.
Such a program also includes strict compliance with the legal framework. You are sure that every offer and every invoice is created in accordance with current legislation. For example, if the VAT rate changes, you don't need to think about manually adjusting your business documents - the invoice program does it for you. This saves you time and ensures you are always up to date.
Main features
Invoice programs simplify your life with a wide range of functions. The most important functions of these IT tools include
- Output of forecasts
- Invoice processing
- Creation and management of credit notes, delivery bills and order forms
- Sending invoices by e-mail
- Management of recurring invoices (subscriptions)
- Automation of reminders for unpaid invoices
- Document entry
- Bank reconciliation
Why choose online invoicing?
Online invoicing software brings you more than just automation of your processes and undeniable time savings.
Avoid billing errors
Select the products and/or services to be invoiced for each order and the respective quantities and the software will do the rest. No Excel formulas, no calculation errors. Select the relevant customer, whose data has previously been registered directly in the program or imported from your CRM system, and send the document with one click!
Cash flow monitoring
Keep an eye on your receivables and analyze data from personalized reports and dashboards. No more ambiguities in accounting - you always know how your accounts are doing.
Ergonomics and user-friendliness
A clear and intuitive user interface makes invoicing more enjoyable: you are less reluctant to take on this task and enjoy being able to concentrate fully on it. As a result, you spend less time on invoicing and can use your time efficiently - unlike a rigid spreadsheet that has to be updated manually every time.
Simplified accounting
The online invoicing software is also a link between you and your accountant or tax advisor. Your exchange of information is made considerably easier. What's more, thanks to the easy-to-use tools, you can easily settle accounts even without in-depth accounting knowledge.
Customer support
If you have any questions or problems, the software provider's customer support team is on hand to help. So you are no longer alone when it comes to invoicing.
Mobility = freedom
Thanks to a mobile application, information is transmitted in real time, no matter where you are. Do you have an appointment outside the office? No problem, you can also send a quote from your smartphone, confirm an order via app or create an invoice on your iPad.
The 4 commandments for quotes and invoices
No. 1: You should keep customer data up to date
Change of order, new address or new telephone number... For an invoice to be valid, the recipient's details must be correct. In addition to the legal aspect, this is of course also important for your company's image. Will your customer feel valued if you make a mistake in their information?
No. 2: You should apply the correct tax rate
Pay particular attention to the VAT rate to be applied to the products and services you sell. Incorrect data is a real time waster!
No. 3: Thou shalt not forget the legal requirements
As already mentioned, certain information must be included in an invoice. For invoices with a gross invoice amount of more than €250, the following points, among others, are required:
- Full name and address of the company providing the service and the recipient of the service
- Tax or VAT identification number
- Date of issue of the invoice
- Consecutive and individual invoice number
- Quantity and type of products supplied or type and scope of services rendered
- Time of the delivery or service
- Remuneration (broken down by tax rates or exemptions)
- Discounts and reductions
- Tax rate or reference to tax exemption
- If applicable, reference to billing by credit note
- If applicable, reference to the recipient's tax liability.
An invoice whose gross amount does not exceed €250, i.e. a so-called low-value invoice, must contain at least the following mandatory information:
- Full name and address of the company providing the service
- Date of issue of the invoice
- Quantity and type of products supplied or type and scope of services provided
- Remuneration and tax amount as a total
- Tax rate or reference to tax exemption
Have you not indicated the due date of payment on your invoice? Plan to be patient until you receive your payment...
No. 4: You should avoid billing errors
In addition to the financial loss involved, your company's image suffers when invoices are incorrect and you risk losing customers all the more.
How do I choose my invoicing program?
What are my needs?
In order to find a suitable program, you need to define your needs in advance. The requirements that you should define include: expected range of functions, number of users as well as of invoices issued each month and the like.
Do you need to customize your documents so that they reflect your company's image and fit in with your corporate design? This should also be taken into account when choosing your tool.
How will I use the software?
Do you need to be able to use the invoicing program on the go? In this case, a mobile or web-based application is essential for you.
Also, don't underestimate the ergonomics and user-friendliness of the software. You need to like the layout and user interface so that the tool is pleasant to use and efficient.
What about interoperability?
Take stock of your existing tools: Accounting, CRM, project management, etc. You'll save even more time if the accounting software you choose can be connected to your tools via APIs.
Don't forget your accountant.
If you use the services of an accountant, tax advisor or auditor, secure access for your financial professional will make communication easier. The latter can access the data relevant to them via their own user portal: you no longer have to send files by email, find the correct or most up-to-date version of a document and laboriously search through your file folders.
Our comparison: The best free invoice programs
Fakturama - The open source invoicing software
Who is it for? Small businesses with basic accounting knowledge
Fakturama is an open-source accounting application that allows you to create and edit your documents as you wish. In addition to functions for invoicing, this software also includes tools for e-commerce such as connections to the most common online store platforms.
Fakturama enables the following actions, among others:
- Creation of a wide range of document types: quotation, invoice, order confirmation, delivery bill, reminder, credit note...,
- Document entry,
- Data import from your webshop,
- Support of the ZUGFeRD format for the exchange with your financial advisors ,
- address database and product management.
As you have to select tax rates, rebates, discounts etc. yourself with Fakturama, basic knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting is recommended for using this accounting software.
Fakturama
Zervant - Accounting made easy
For whom? Small businesses and the self-employed
Zervant is an online tool that is characterized by its ease of use. With just a few clicks, you can professionally design and edit your quotes and invoices. You can then send them in an instant - by e-mail, as a PDF or paper version, it's up to you!
Zervant offers the following features, among others:
- simple invoice editor,
- contact and address management,
- Sending documents,
- tracking of your sales,
- editing of individually configurable documents,
- multilingual management of quotes and invoices.
In just a few seconds, you can see whether your invoices have been paid, are still outstanding or whether your customers are late in paying them. This gives you a complete overview of your cash flow.
With Zervant, everything is centralized in one place. Everything is connected quickly and easily.
The solution is free in Germany for invoices to up to 10 customers. A larger range of functions is available from €7 per month.
Zervant
With all the advantages: Beware of freeware!
Free invoice software comes with many advantages, first and foremost of course the resource savings. However, we would like to point out that a free full version often also comes with some challenges that more or less limit the carefree use of such an application.
Free does not always mean free
Unfortunately, in most cases, a powerful program is never completely free. Hidden costs can occur, for example, if you discover that you are dependent on paid extension modules. As open-source software, Fakturama allows you to use it completely free of charge and therefore remains a rare exception. You should therefore pay attention to what is included in the package when making your decision.
Features and functions
For each program you are considering using, make sure that it integrates all the necessary and relevant functions you need. If this is not the case, you will need to decide for yourself whether you are willing to spend an additional budget on advanced and essential but paid extra features.
Customer support
Can you hope for professional support if you have questions, problems or uncertainties? In the vast majority of cases, such support is not offered with free invoicing programs.
Possible applications
Freeware is primarily suitable for self-employed entrepreneurs and small organizations, as the maximum number of users or documents to be created or the maximum available storage capacity for larger companies is quickly reached. Extensions are also associated with additional costs.
Alternatives with free trial versions
Debitoor: Intuitive, innovative, informative
Who is it for? Freelancers, founders and small businesses
Debitoor is an accounting and bookkeeping program that is primarily aimed at self-employed entrepreneurs. With this intuitive invoicing software, you can create invoices, manage credit notes and send reminders if required. Document capture using OCR technology for complete bookkeeping and special access for your tax advisor are also integrated.
The free version of Debitoor is available for seven days. The professional full versions are subject to a charge, but will certainly please your wallet: starting at just €4 per month.
SumUp
Lexoffice: Functions over functions
Who is it for? Self-employed, founders and SMEs
Lexoffice is the classic among German accounting and invoicing programs. Whether you need to create invoices, send receipts, send invoices on account, integrate online banking, submit advance VAT returns via the ELSTER interface or prepare an EÜR - Lexoffice is one of the most comprehensive tools for your financial management. The multi-award-winning and GoBD-tested software impresses above all with the scope of its features and application options.
Lexoffice offers a 30-day free trial version during which you can fully test the tool. You can then use the full version from €7.90 per month.
lexoffice Lohn & Gehalt
orgaMAX
For whom?
orgaMAX goes beyond pure accounting. In addition to tools for invoicing and order management, this management solution also combines functions for day-to-day task management, purchasing and sales management, administration of your customer master data and extensive reporting options. This means that all the data required for invoicing is combined in one place.
orgaMAX offers a non-binding and free 30-day trial version. Prices for the full version start at €7.50 per month.
Simple invoicing with free software
We can't repeat it often enough: Determining your exact needs is crucial to finding the most suitable software for you. By identifying your requirements, problems, application types and so on, you will be better able to find the tool that can provide you with answers.
There are very reliable free programs for invoicing, such as Faktura and Zervant. However, if the free versions do not meet your expectations, do not hesitate to use the trial versions of commercial invoicing programs.
Article translated from German